1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a simple, inexpensive camera incorporating both a normal and a telephoto objective lens, a flash means, and a viewfinder having differeing fields of view appropriate to the focal length of the objective lens. The flash housing is movable and interconnects with both the viewfinder and the objective lens whereby the positions of both the viewfinder and the objective lens are controlled by the position of the flash housing. The camera user simply and easily moves the flash housing from a first position to a second position to effect either a normal taking condition or a telephoto taking condition. At the same time, the flash housing is appropriately moved to minimize the effect commonly known as "red eye".
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many camera are known in the prior art with a source of flash illumination incorporated therein. Many of those cameras utilizing either flash bulbs or electronic flash means, have been marketed with a flash which may be deployed from a stored position to an operating position more remote from the objective lens. In some cameras the movable flash is interconnected with the objective lens so that either the focal length of the lens or the aperture of the lens is affected by the deployment of the flash. Examples of these cameras are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,598,031 and 4,515,453. Still other camera are known in which the focal length of the objective lens is manually adjustable with means interconnecting the lens with elements associated with the flash source to selectively affect the light emanating from the flash source. Examples of these cameras are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,466 in which the angle at which the flash source projects the illumination is varied with changes in the focal length of the lens. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,930 a light diffusing plate is adjusted into and out of the path of the flash illumination in accordance with the focal length setting of the objective lens.
Further, other cameras have been developed which interconnect the objective lens, the viewfinder and the flash. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,887 discloses a camera in which the viewfinder and objective lens are interconnected with the source of flash illuminationn whereby a Fresnel lens is movably associated with the flash source to change the angle of flash illumination emanating therefrom in accordance with the focal length setting of the objective lens.
While these and various other combinationa of camera apparatus have been known, no cameras are known wherein the viewfinder, objective lens, and flash are all interconnected and where the objective lens-to-flash distance is varied according to the focal length of the lens being employed, thereby minimizing the problems of red eye.
Still further, no camera is known wherein the focal length of the objective lens and the viewing angle of the viewfinder are simply and effectively controlled by the camera user simply by deploying or retracting the flash housing in a simple, manual manner.